Some of the most common problems of holding and/or storing food and beverages while eating and drinking occur while a person is at a location where the surrounding ground is not completely level, such as a park, or where there is dirt or sand, such as a beach. At these locations the food or beverage can either tip over and spill, or become contaminated by the dirt and sand. The only way for a person to avoid the problems of food or beverages tipping over or becoming contaminated with dirt or sand is to completely finish eating or drinking the item after opening, or by putting the item into a container, such as an ice cooler. Neither of these options is particularly convenient. Many people prefer to slowly eat or drink and sometimes even take short breaks, to allow maximum enjoyment of their food and drink. While an ice cooler does provide safe keeping, it often becomes inconvenient to continually have to remove and replace a food or drink item.
There are prior art trays that have been designed to provide a method of holding and storing food and beverages on folding portable chairs such as lawn chairs and chaise lounges. These trays are limited to fixed trays that attach to both the arms or to trays that include brackets that attach to other structural members of a chair. Some prior art chairs swivel to position the tray horizontally when attached to a single arm and others drop the tray to the side of the chair for storage. Unfortunately, none of these chairs have been designed around a beach-type chair design, which provides a specialized type of seating for the unique topography of a beach. This presents a problem because a beach, or similar environment, is exactly where a chair with a built-in tray would be most effective.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,425,455 Miller, et al 20 June 1995 5,038,451 August 13 1991 4,807,928 February28 1989 4,662,676 May 5 1987 4,575,149 11estal, et al March 1986 4,548,440 22 et al October 1985 4,405,046 20z, et al Sept. 1983 4,300,798 17ove, et al November 1981 4,003,598 January18 1977 Des. 324,791 Hoover March 24 1992 Des. 268,072 Boggs March 1983 ______________________________________
Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,451 teaches a tray which attaches to both arms of a folding lawn chair.
The tray is removable with button knobs on the bottom of the arms for access to the chair. The chair is stored in the folded position with the tray in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,676 of Havelock is for an arm tray attached to one arm of a chair by an adjustable hook and pile fastener that wraps around the chair arm. A brace, of adjustable length, is attached to a swivel on an underside of the tray, and recessed depressions are in the tray for storing eating utensils.
Forestal, et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,149 discloses a household service tray attached to a furniture arm with a support having parallel legs that adjustably straddle the furniture article, such as an overstuffed chair. The tray rotates to provide an over-the-seat position and the tray drops downward outside the arm when not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,798 issued to Musgrove, et al teaches a folding chair that includes a collapsible tray mounted on one leg using a separate mounting bracket. An L-shaped arm allows elevation and angular adjustment to be made, and permits the tray to be rotated vertically for storage.
Glaze's U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,598 is for a tray attached to or integrally formed with a chair arm. A track on the arm permits the tray to be swung about a vertical axis and then be moved lengthwise along the track for convenient positioning relative to a person sitting in the chair.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the patents issued to Miller et al, Cone, Meslin et al, Schultz et al, and the design patents of both Hoover and Boggs.